


the violet hour

by aukusti



Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Twilight References, akira discovers twilight and then shows it to everyone, this is probably not what you're expecting. me either
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:40:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24333760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aukusti/pseuds/aukusti
Summary: “I didn’t know you were a fan of… foreign films, Akira.”“I’m not,” Akira responds. “I just liked this one.”Goro seems to perk up at that, something like a smile passing through his face. “You like vampire movies?”
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 12
Kudos: 89





	the violet hour

Akira first watches it alone, screams for twenty minutes, watches it again, and then invites all his friends over.

“Twilight,” Makoto says, feigning disinterest or okay, maybe not. Her hands are twisting and untwisting in her lap the way she had a habit of doing when she was anticipating something. “You called us over to watch Twilight?”

“I did,” Akira responds solemnly. Ann is pressed to Futaba’s side on a neon green beanbag monstrosity they’d found while thrifting. Both of them are peering intently at one of their phones. “It was very touching.”

“I feel like your taste worsened overnight.” Futaba is squinting at him, probably trying to hack his brain. “These reviews are awful.”

Yusuke, who had been blissfully quiet on Akira’s bed, frowns. “There must have been something worthwhile that was shown if it’s reception was so controversial.”

“It’s vampires,” Ryuji groans, head in hands from the chair next to Makoto’s. Akira doesn't miss the way Makoto keeps checking her phone, probably texting Haru who couldn't make it to their impromptu gathering. He decides to table the conversation forming in his mind. “And werewolves. And humans, shit we've already seen. It can't be that great.”

“The lead looks like he isn't real,” Ann pipes up. “He looks like raw dough.”

“ _Edward_ is beautiful,” Akira says, crossing his arms and making eye contact with no one. It’s silent for a beat, then two, before Futaba cracks up.

“Your taste in men can't be this bad,” she wheezes, despite knowing it probably is that bad.

“Just wait,” Akira insists, making quick work of putting the film on his tiny laptop screen, placing it on a table in the relative semi-circle they'd gathered in. “It's cinematic art.”

They watch the movie, commenting all the while. The general consensus becomes that it's so bad it’s entertaining, and they set a time to watch the series in its entirety for the following week.

Akira’s home screen becomes a picture of the first book’s cover for the next three months.

*

The next time he watches Twilight in a context that isn’t him cycling through a binge watch, it's to show Goro.

“Twilight.” Goro peers at the DVD collection Akira makes sure to dust every week. “I didn’t know you were a fan of… foreign films, Akira.”

“I’m not,” Akira responds, this time putting the movie into a secondhand DVD player he'd saved up to buy, set up on top of a TV that he'd found at a secondhand shop. “I just liked this one.” He presses play.

Goro seems to perk up at that, something like a smile passing through his face. “You like vampire movies?”

Akira laughs, sitting next to Goro on his bed. Their thighs were touching, even though Goro was sitting on the inside. “Also no. I'm just attached.”

Goro raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment, instead facing forward to watch the dark forest opening. Akira watches him.

It's interesting, watching movies with Goro. He rarely talks, eyes fixed on the screen as he frowns or scoffs or reacts in any way. Akira is secretly enthralled.

“I’d do this,” Goro says, gesturing at the screen when Edward leads Bella past the wall of his family’s graduation caps.

Akira feels like exploding. “That's the most you thing I've ever seen.”

The smile Goro tries to hide makes him feel like he actually might.

It goes well, better than he'd anticipated. This is his type of movie, Akira realizes the moment they get to the baseball scene. He’s over the moon every time his face scrunches up at Bella’s styling options.

Goro looks affronted at her prom outfit. “I’d rather be caught dead than wear anything in her closet.” Akira pats his thigh.

As the credits roll, Goro leans his head against the wall. “That was… an experience. Thank you for sharing that with me.”

Akira can't help the laugh that he lets out as he takes off his glasses, rubbing his eyes as he speaks. “You're thanking me for showing you a bad movie?”

“I don't usually watch movies.” Goro yawns, stretching his arms over his head. He looks so normal it startles Akira. “Much less this kind of movie, or with anyone. So thank you.”

Saying _of course_ or _you're welcome_ feels stupid, so Akira goes for, “There are four more we can watch,” looking serious all the while.

“Four?” Goro looks dumbfounded. “People liked these that much?”

It makes Akira want to pinch his cheeks, how incredulous he sounds. “The best one is the last one.” He does actually raise his hand to Goro’s face then, moves away a piece of hair too close to his eyes. “Want to watch?”

Goro raises his hand to his chin, and Akira waits. “Maybe next week,” he relents, and Akira’s brain goes into overdrive trying to figure out how to turn that maybe into a yes.

In exactly a week’s time, they’re in the same position: Goro sitting to the wall as Akira presses against him. Goro doesn’t try to push him away anymore, so Akira makes sure every so often by getting too into his space: a hand on his thigh, head on his shoulder; today, he settles for both.

The movie starts. He knows how easy it is for Goro to get into things, the full body reaction he experiences when he isn’t expecting something. From being pressed to him, Akira doesn’t think he was expecting any of this.

When Bella jumps off a cliff, Goro whispers, “What the fuck.” Akira hums; it's a reasonable sentiment.

He expects the way Goro swears as Edward stands in the sun, ready to give his life for nothing at all. What he doesn’t expect is his silence through what’s left of the movie, the way he absorbs everything and says nothing at all.

When it ends, he scoots down, putting his face against Goro’s midriff. “So?” Akira says, muffled into his shirt.

It’s quiet. He’s expecting a tangent, words laced with disdain towards Bella’s flippant attitude towards life. Instead, Goro sits and stares at the television as the credits roll.

“I think I’ll use the restroom,” he says, and Akira sits up, watches him go down the stairs without saying another word.

He waits for five minutes, then ten, before realizing Goro has left. His coat is still on the chair he neatly put it on, but he definitely took his wallet and phone with him. Panic is rising in his throat, fear that he mis-stepped, or maybe the movie was a misstep, or—

It's another two days before he hears from Goro again.

Akira is wiping down tables in Leblanc, eyes feeling heavier than they have in months. He’s texted, he’s called; he worries. Because Goro doesn’t do this anymore, at least that’s what Akira has been telling himself, that what they had was different and special and somehow that slipped away over a _stupid movie_ and—

His phone vibrates in his pocket. He’s never thrown down a rag faster, bolting up the stairs without looking back. Sojiro yells something out, but all he can focus on is sitting on his bed, clicking the green button to answer the call.

“Hello?” Akira breathes.

It’s silent again. Akira is sick of silence. “Akechi Goro, I swear—”

“Akira,” Goro croaks out. He flinches at the way Goro sounds, like he’s been pulled from a trance; like he might not be there. “Hi.” He hears Goro clear his throat. “Hello. Sorry. I... How are you?”

“Me?” Akira huffs, cradles the phone impossibly closer to his ear. “Jesus Christ, Goro. Where have _you_ been? Where did you go?”

It takes him a moment. “I wasn’t sure how to react.” His words are slow, careful. “I didn't know what to do when a... popular vampire movie franchise got so dark.”

Akira purses his lips. Goro continues, “I don’t think we should watch the third one, Akira.”

“Okay,” Akira breathes out immediately. “We don’t have to watch the third one. Or the fourth or the fifth, just talk to me next time, okay?”

Goro hums, and Akira takes it as a we’ll see response. He's okay with seeing. “Have you eaten? Can I come over? Do _you_ want to come over?”

“I just got off the train.” Akira blinks in surprise and huffs again. As he rolls his eyes, he wonders when he rubbed off on Goro so much. “I’ll be there soon.”

“Coffee?” Akira asks. He gets up, starts moving downstairs. He doesn’t ignore Sojiro’s pointed look, the way his hand is on his hip.

Akira covers the receiver, mouths _tell you later_. Akira flails in the direction of the kitchen and Sojiro grunts, starts readying a plate of curry. It isn’t the first time this has happened.

“Not today,” Goro replies. Akira hums, stepping behind the counter and starts searching for hot chocolate instead. “I’m going to hang up now.”

Akira pauses. “Okay. If you don’t show up at my door in ten minutes, I’m going to do something drastic.”

He laughs, and it feels like neither of them are expecting it. “Three,” Goro says, and the call ends.

From the kitchen, Sojiro calls out, “Your boyfriend did something again.”

“Maybe,” Akira responds, not ready to get into a conversation about this just yet. He knows Sojiro feels for Goro, feels for Akira enough too if he lets him stay over. A plate of curry is placed on the counter in front of the seat that has a permanent owner. “Thanks, Boss.”

He grunts again, turns to the news that never stops playing from the far side of the café. The bell above the door rings, Goro steps through, and Akira is ready to start again.

**Author's Note:**

> my boyfriend: would akira cry over twilight  
> me: actually, (writes this)
> 
> i started this one way and as always it ended in another.. i hope we can understand why akechi goro would appreciate the twilight saga while feeling prickly about new moon specifically. and how akira would probably browse archives of old twilight forums
> 
> i'm on twitter @hanayo + title is a song by sea wolf, also a song off the new moon soundtrack .. thank you for reading ♥︎


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